Chapter 12: Stranger Danger

After getting everything they could from Ryan for the night and Josef's men arrived to take him into custody Mick and Beth left Candice's to pick up Kayla. When they pick her up she is her usual bouncy happy self and tells them all about her fun time with Alice and Andrew while they drive home.

It's late when they get home and Kayla goes straight up to get a shower having had dinner at Alice's. As soon as she disappears upstairs Mick turns to Beth, "We have two men outside keeping the house secure."

Beth nodded. "I'm not scared for myself Mick. You made me stronger when you turned me…but we both know Coraline has a past of kidnapping children. I don't want her to scare our little girl."

Pulling Beth into his arms he squeezes her tight. "I won't let that happen. I swear to you Beth I will do everything in my power to protect you and Kayla."

Beth breathed in her sires comforting scent, listening to Kayla humming a song in the shower above them and felt herself relax. She always felt safe in Mick's arms just like she knew Kayla did. He'd never let her down before. He was her guardian angel after all.

"I know you will Mick. I still think we should talk to Kayla about this. Just make sure she knows never go off with strangers. I'd also like to show her a picture of Coraline and make sure she knows never to go near her."

Mick agreed, "That would be for the best."

When Kayla came down the stairs in her pajamas she went right for her Momma. "I have knots can you get them out?"

Beth took the offered comb and moved her legs on the couch so that Kayla could sit in front of her. Beth began to gently comb out her hair, taking special care of the knots and getting them out without hurting her. When all the knots were out and Beth had finished she leaned forward and set the comb on the coffee table wrapping her arms around her daughter.

"Sweetie your Daddy and I have something we'd like to talk with you about. It's big girl stuff and we need you to really pay attention. Think you can do that for us?"

"Uh huh I'm a big girl Momma I'm 7."

Mick couldn't help but grin. "You sure are. Now we want to talk about strangers."

"You don't talk to strangers or take anything from them," Kayla said easily.

"That's very good sweetie. But sometimes strangers will say that they know your family and that they were sent by them to get you. Maybe even be dressed like a police officer or something. Like sometimes one of Uncle Josef's friends will pick you up from school."

Kayla nods. Mick picks up where Beth left off. "Well from now on we don't want you to go with anyone but family okay."

"Okay I won't go with anyone but family but…why?"

Beth pulls out her phone and pulls up a picture of Coraline she'd had Josef's men send from her file. Bile rose in her throat as she saw the picture but she pushed it aside. "You see this woman."

"She looks mean," Kayla looks at the picture of Coraline and wrinkles her nose.

Beth smiles happily that her little girl has such good instincts. "She is a bad person. She's upset with your Daddy and me and may come to town."

Mick reached over and took her tiny hands in his sensing her rising fear. "We don't want you to worry angel. Everything will be fine, promise. We just wanted you to always be safe."

"But you and Momma are vampires."

"We are. This woman is one too."

"Is she a bad vampire then?" Kayla looks between their faces.

They both nod yes, "She is but you're safe. Promise, sweetie."

"I know. You and Daddy always make me safe."

Tears fought to break free from both grownups as their little girl placed such confidence in them. "Always," Beth assured seeing Mick was having a little harder time finding his voice.

After a moment Kayla looks at Beth, "Why is she mad at you and Daddy?"

"You know how Momma said I'm older than I look because I'm a vampire." Kayla nods. "Well before your Momma was even born I was a grown up human and I met this woman. She was in love with me."

"Did you love her back?"

"At the time I thought I did. I was young and stupid. But she was a vampire and she made me one. I was very upset because I didn't even know about vampires and she made me one without asking."

"That's not nice."

"No sweetie it's not. Then we had a fight because of it," Mick tried to simplify and G rate his history with Coraline. "Then we broke up. I moved on but she was never happy about it."

Beth drew Kayla's attention, "Then years later I met your Daddy and we fell in love. She didn't like that because she was jealous that he loved me and not her. Then she was sent away to never come back to bother us again."

"Then why is she back?"

"She got away from the person keeping her away. We don't know where she is going but we are going to be extra careful just in case she's still upset."

Kayla nodded and looked at Mick. "She did a bad thing but…I'm glad she made you a vampire so you could be my Daddy."

Mick wrapped his angel up in his arms holding her tight. For so long he thought this was a curse but finding Beth he had realized that without it he never would have found this love. He never would have had this family and he couldn't imagine life without them. It took him years to understand that but she had figured it out in the span of ten minutes. She really was sharp as a wit.

"I'm glad too. Because I have you and your Momma."

Mick moved one of his arms around Beth making it a group hug. They were strong. "Okay munchkin it's time for bed. You have school in the morning."

"Okay," she gave Beth a full hug and kiss. "Night Momma love you."

"Love you too baby."

Kayla turned to Mick wrapping her arms back around him, "Story?"

"You bet," Mick carried their angel upstairs to tuck her in and read her a bedtime story.

Beth stood up knocking her phone from her lap. She caught it as it fell to the floor and quickly removed the picture from her phone. A smile quirked up on her lips as she thought about Kayla and her instant thoughts towards Coraline. As she deleted the picture she saw she needed to charge her phone and got the idea.

Heading over to Kayla's school bag she reached into the pocket she knew always held her emergency phone. Kayla hadn't had to use it in so long only carrying it out of habit. Beth saw the battery was dead and quickly found the charger so that it would be fully charged should she need it.

To Be Continued…

Evilous